The Joker Killed In Shenandoah National Park

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According to The Associated Press, the Batman villain The Joker was shot and killed by police in Shenandoah National Park. Reported just a few hours ago, an FBI affidavit explains that a soldier “dressed and wearing face-paint like… The Joker” was killed when he pointed a loaded shotgun at police following a chase.

Army Spc. Christopher Lanum was a suspect in the stabbing Spc. Mitchell Stone at Fort Eustis. Stone says that Lanum, who idolized the character of The Joker, stabbed him and used a taser gun on him before fleeing.

Here’s an explanation of how things went down, directly from the AP article:

Lanum and [his girlfriend Patsy Ann Marie] Montowski fled in her van, which a park ranger spotted about 200 miles northwest of the base, according to authorities. The ranger called for help, and Lanum led police on a slow-speed chase before running over a spike strip laid down by police and crashing, they added.

The FBI said Montowski told them that Lanum handed her the shotgun and asked her to kill him, but she refused. The affidavit says Lanum pointed the gun at police, his finger on the trigger, and refused commands to drop the weapon. A trooper fired through the driver’s side window, Lanum’s shotgun discharged, and police fired several times.

The trooper and park rangers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of internal investigations, according to a joint state police, FBI and National Park Service release.

The girlfriend was injured by gunfire and has since been charged with being an accessory after the fact.